Embedded devices (such as mobile smartphones) typically have a variety of sensors and actuation mechanisms. These sensors include accelerometers, location devices, and temperature that provide insight to the current context of the embedded device. For example, using one or more sensors on a mobile smartphone, it can be determined whether the user is running, walking, or driving. Actuation mechanisms are used in embedded devices to alert or notify the user. These actuation mechanisms include vibration feedback and audio feedback.
It has become easier to develop and distribute applications for embedded devices that take advantage of the sensors and actuation mechanisms available on those devices. Moreover, these embedded devices typically can access the Internet to browse web pages and also to use cloud services. Generally speaking, however, It is easier to create and develop web pages than to develop the applications for embedded devices. This is because on-device applications are more difficult than websites to distribute and update.
Current approaches that seek to removing barriers to developing these applications are focused on using applications on the embedded device rather than websites. This is in part because on-device applications have access to most (if not all) the sensor data of the device, but web-based applications typically do not. This is because embedded devices typically do not make sensor data available for export to outside applications.